{796.3231 
I B226i  I 


INSIDE 

BASKETBALL 

FOR 

PLAYERS  AND  COACHES 

□ □ 

□ 


M.  B.  BANKS 

SYRAGUSK  *09 


URBAiVACHAMPAIGN 

bookstacks 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 

for 

PLAYERS  and  COACHES 


By  M.  B.  BANKS 

SYRACUSE  ’09 


First  Edition 


Copyright  1920 

By  M.  B.  Banks,  Des  Moines,  Iowa 


PREFACE 


A book  of  this  kind  may  very  easily  become  uninteresting, 
either  because  of  inadequate  description  or  too  much  detail. 
The  writer  has  tried  to  describe  concisely  and  clearly  the 
many  features  of  basketball  play.  The  purpose  of  these  chap- 
ters is  the  hope  that  they  may  be  of  value  in  teaching  beginning 
players  and  inexperienced  coaches  some  points  not  understood 
by  them. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  I 

The  Game,  Equipment,  Playing  Floor, 
Schedules. 

CHAPTER  II 

Fundamentals — Goal  Throwing,  Passing, 
Dribbling,  Stopping,  Starting,  Jumping, 
Following  Shots,  Turning,  Reversing,  Piv- 
oting, Blocking  and  Guarding. 

CHAPTER  III 

Team  Offensive  Play — Short  Pass,  Fong 
Pass,  Dribbling  Game. 

CHAPTER  IV 

Team  Defensive  Play. 

CHAPTER  V 

Selecting  Players,  How  to  Practice. 

CHAPTER  VI  Plays  and  Signals— Center  Plays,  Held  Ball 


CHAPTER  VH 

Plays,  Out  of  Bound  Plays,  Free  Throw 
Plays. 

Training  and  Conditioning. 

CHAPTER  VIII 

Playing  the  Game,  Hints,  Dope,  Etc. 

•ji 


Chapter  I 
THE  GAME 

Basketball  has  developed  since  its  invention  by  Dr.  Nai- 
smith  of  the  University  of  Kansas  into  the  greatest  and  most 
interesting  of  indoor  games,  particularly  among  the  American 
schools  and  colleges.  Each  succeeding  year  finds  the  game 
more  popular  everywhere,  and  the  constant  efforts  of  the  Rules 
Committee  to  adopt  measures  eliminating  objectionable  fea- 
tures has  brought  about  a game  that  is  both  interesting  and 
worth  while.  Basketball  under  widely  different  rules  is  played 
by  both  boys  and  girls  ; the  girls'  game  having  three  or  more 
courts,  while  in  the  boys'  or  men's  game  but  one  court  is  re- 
quired. The  appealing  feature  of  the  game  is  in  the  matching 
of  speed,  skill  and  strength.  In  order  to  play  with  brilliance, 
one  must  have  these  attributes  in  a high  degree,  which  are 
brought  about  through  constant  practice.  Basketball  developes 
initiative,  speed,  determination,  and  the  ability  to  think  and  act 
quickly  in  an  emergency,  in  other  words,  cooperation  between 
the  mind,  the  will,  and  the  muscles  is  wonderfully  developed. 

Equipment 

In  order  to  play  any  game  well,  it  is  absolutely  necessary 
that  the  equipment  be  first  class.  The  basketball  itself,  in 
practice  as  in  the  match  games,  should  be  perfect.  That  is,  the 
ball  should  be  round  with  no  bulging  on  one  side  as  is  com- 
monly the  case.  It  should  be  properly  inflated  and  laced  cor- 
rectly so  the  lacing  does  not  interfere  with  easy  handling  of  the 
ball.  The  billiard  player  could  do  nothing  with  a billiard  ball 
not  perfectly  round.  It  is  just  as  true  in  the  case  of  a basket- 
ball that  is  lopsided.  It  will  not  carom  from  the  back-board 
properly ; nor  can  a man  throw  for  goal  accurately  unless  he  is 
using  a perfectly  shaped  ball. 

Shoes  in  the  individual  equipment  for  a player  should  have 
the  greatest  care  in  selection.  They  are  the  most  important 
in  the  playing  outfit.  The  soles  of  the  shoes  should  be  of  a 
rather  soft  rubber  that  will  insure  proper  sticking  power  on  the 
floor. 


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A shoe  with  a hard  rubber  sole  does  not  hold  a player  on 
some  floors,  and  he  is  at  a great  disadvantage  at  once.  It  is 
absolutely  necessary  that  the  shoes  fit  properly  so  there  is  no 
looseness  around  the  ball  of  foot  or  the  heel.  Otherwise,  blis- 
ters will  result  causing  extreme  sore  feet  and  possibly  a long 
lay  off. 

The  shirt  should  be  of  wool  with  plenty  of  room  for  free- 
dom of  arms  and  shoulders.  A snug  fitting  jersey  is  advisable. 
The  pants  may  be  either  knee  length,  similar  to  baseball  pants, 
or  short,  like  track  pants.  The  latter  is  preferable,  being 
lighter,  cooler,  and  permitting  greater  freedom  of  movement. 
Light  pads  should  be  placed  in  pants  to  protect  hips  in  case  of 
a fall.  Hose  with  a stirrup  foot,  so  that  white  sanitary  stocking 
feet  may  be  worn  inside  are  best.  The  top  of  the  hose  may  be 
held  up  by  a rubber  which  must  not  be  too  tight  so  as  to  stop 
full  blood  circulation. 

It  is  well  to  have  two  shirts  of  different  color,  one  white, 
the  other  dark,  so  that  a color  opposite  that  worn  by  opponents 
may  be  used.  Ordinarily  the  background  of  a basketball  court 
is  dark,  making  it  advisable  to  wear  a shirt  of  a bright  color 
which  will  permit  players  to  distinguish  teammates  readily. 
Teams  should  be  equipped  with  training  shirts,  fleece  lined, 
to  warm  up  in  and  to  put  on  over  playing  jerseys  before  a 
game,  between  halves,  while  on  a bench,  etc.,  so  that  the 
players  do  not  cool  off  too  quickly  or  catch  cold. 

Knee  guards  are  a precaution  that  saves  many  infected  and 
skinned  knees.  The  same  is  true  of  elbow  pads,  at  least  for 
practice  games.  These  pads  should  be  held  in  place  by  elastic 
above  and  below  the  knee  or  elbow  and  not  too  tight.  It  gives 
a player  a sense  of  security,  and  he  will  play  harder  and  take 
more  chances. 

Equipment  as  a whole  is  very  important.  A trim  neat 
looking  squad  will  work  better  and  pass  snappier  than  one  with 
an  ill  fitting  and  sloppy  looking  outfit.  A basketball  suit 
should  be  kept  clean,  especially  the  supporter,  for  sanitary 
reasons  and  to  prevent  ‘'gym  itch,''  scalding  and  other  skin  in- 
fections. 

Playing  Floor 

Good  sportsmanship  should  prompt  the  coach  of  any  team 
to  see  to  it  that  his  home  floor  has  nothing  in  the  way  of  re- 
movable features  peculiar  to  that  particular  playing  floor  that 
might  cause  severe  handicap  to  visiting  teams.  I have  known 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


of  unprincipled  coaches  waxing  the  floor  and  providing  his  own 
men  with  kerosene  mats  in  order  to  make  their  shoes  stick. 

Out  of  bounds  should  be  made  all  around  even  to  making 
the  playing  floor  seem  ridiculously  short.  It  is  only  fair.  The 
one  great  criticism  against  basketball  is  that  the  visiting  team 
in  most  cases  is  handicapped  by  the  different  size  of  floor^ 
lights,  back-board,  baskets,  etc.,  as  compared  to  the  floor  on 
which  they  play  at  home.  Playing  at  home  is  too  great  an  ad- 
vantage in  basketball.  However,  this  fault  is  being  remedied 
in  the  University  and  College  games  because  of  so  many  large 
“Gyms'"  being  erected  allowing  for  a maximum  floor.  The 
rules  suggest  the  manner  in  which  courts  should  be  marked. 
It  should  be  made  compulsory.  The  boundary  lines  should  be 
marked  plainly  and  not  conflict  with  the  lines  of  other  indoor 
games.  Every  possible  courtesy  should  be  extended  the  vis- 
itors, for  they  deserve  it,  and  besides  it  helps  the  game. 

Schedules 

The  manner  of  scheduling  games  has  a great  deal  to  do 
with  the  result  of  a season  of  basketball.  It  is  not  a wise  plan 
to  play  a strong,  well  known  team  early  just  to  have  the  doubt- 
ful honor  of  having  played  them.  Plan  to  get  three  or  four 
practice  games  before  your  regular  games  begin.  If  you  have 
a veteran  team,  it  may  be  well  to  play  some  stiff  opponents 
early  and  thus  get  the  jump  on* them.  Try  to  bring  the  sched- 
ule up  to  a climax.  Winding  up  the  season  with  a weak  team 
leaves  a bad  taste.  Two  games  a week  are  sufficient.  Have  a 
rest  of  three  days  between  games  if  possible,  although  a team 
will  play  on  successive  days  very  well ; if  anything,  better  on 
the  second  night.  One  day's  layoff  between  games  is  very 
poor  scheduling.  Do  not  book  more  than  two  successive 
games  on  a trip  away  from  home.  Longer  trips  take  the  “zip" 
out  of  the  boy^.  If  the  team  is  green,  try  to  arrange  games 
gradually  stronger.  Do  not  schedule  games  with  extremely 
weak  teams  between  important  ones.  It  will  demoralize  the 
play  of  your  own  team  and  make  them  over-confident,  a malig- 
nant disease  that  has  wrecked  the  fond  hopes  of  many  coaches. 


Chapter  II 
FUNDAMENTALS 
Goal  Throwing 

A few  years  ago  coaches  invariably  placed  the  most  ac- 
curate goal  shooters  in  forward  positions  regardless  of  other 
qualifications  for  the  position.  If  one  developed  a knack  for 
shooting  baskets,  his  position  was  at  once  assured.  His  de- 
fensive work  might  be  abominable  and  his  ability  to  lose  a 
guard  mediocre ; yet,  if  he  could  shoot,  he  was  a forward. 
Time,  with  its  steady  advance  in  the  style  of  the  game,  has 
changed  all  this.  Now,  theoretically,  the  perfect  basketball 
team  is  one  composed  of  men  who  have  mastered  all  the  funda- 
mentals of  the  game.  In  other  words,  all  five  should  play  for- 
ward or  guard  equally  well.  Every  member  of  the  ideal  team 
should  have  that  rare  ability  to  shoot  field  goals  accurately 
either  on  a dead  run,  under  the  basket  or  standing  for  a long 
shot.  The  real  underlying  principle  of  successful  up-to-date 
basketball  is  perfection  in  the  game's  fundamentals,  not  one  or 
two,  but  all  of  them. 

Under  the  head  of  fundamentals  are  goal  throwing,  follow- 
ing shots,  passing,  catching  a ball,  guarding,  stopping,  starting, 
turning,  pivoting,  reversing,  jumping,  blocking  and  dribbling. 
Of  all  these  the  most  important  is  goal  throwing.  A basketball 
team  may  have  perfected  its  passing  game,  and  defense,  and 
yet  become  a victim  to  a team  made  up  of  exceptional  and 
better  goal  shooters.  A weak  hitting  baseball  team  is  power- 
less against  a hard  hitting  aggregation  even  though  the  defense 
and  team  play  of  the  former  is  superior.  Basketball  games  are 
won  by  hitting  the  inside  of  the  basket,  just  as  baseball  games 
are  won  by  hitting  the  ball.  This  is  not  meant  to  minimize  the 
importance  of  other  phases  of  the  game.  The  writer  merely 
wishes  to  impress  the  great  need  of  accurate  shooting  by  all 
members  of  a team. 

The  ability  to  throw  baskets  comes  largely  through  knack 
plus  constant  practice.  It  is  a simple  thing  to  shoot  goals  in 
practice  without  guarding,  and  still  quite  another  to  success- 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


9 


fully  negotiate  a field  goal  in  the  heat  of  an  important  game. 
We  speak  of  one’s  knack  in  doing  this  or  that  well,  or,  that  one 
is  a star  in  all  branches  of  endeavor.  The  so-called  star  really 
has  something  in  his  makeup  that  others  lack.  This  knack  in 
basketball,  shooting  goals,  passing,  pivoting,  etc.,  is  simply 
perfect  co-ordination  between  mind  and  muscle  together  with 
common  sense.  A boy  with  what  we  term  an  athletic  head 
knows  instinctively  that  in  handling  a basketball  he  must  use 
the  fingers  and  not  the  palm  of  the  hand  in  guiding  it  on  a 
pass  or  a shot  at  the  basket.  He  realizes  that  he  must  not  stand 
flat-footed,  but  rather  on  the  balls  of  his  feet,  and  that  they 
should  be  wide  apart  with  one  foot  in  front  of  the  other.  In 
short,  a good  basket  shooter  is  always  perfectly  poised  and 
ready  to  follow  the  shot  after  releasing  the  ball. 

There  are  several  different  styles  of  shots,  the  breast  shot, 
the  underhand,  single  and  double  hand  over  head,  one  hand 
push,  and  over-hand  wrist  snap  shot.  The  shot  most  fre- 
quently used  is  the  breast  or  push  shot.  It  is  executed  by 
holding  the  ball  breast  high  between  the  palms,  thumbs  point- 
ing toward  each  other,  elbows  close  to  body.  The  ball  is 
touched  only  by  the  tips  of  fingers  aud  thumbs — never  by  the 
palm  of  the  hand.  The  weight  of  the  body  should  rest  on  the 
balls  of  the  feet,  one  foot  in  advance  of  the  other  and  about 
eighteen  or  twenty  inches  apart.  The  legs  must  be  flexed  at 
the  knees  and  the  trunk  of  the  body  bent  slightly  forward. 
This  position  gives  proper  balance.  Now  with  all  the  muscles 
relaxed  the  ball  is  pushed  forward  and  up  by  straightening  the 
arms,  legs  and  entire  body  and  finishing  with  a wrist  and 
thumb  snap  under  the  ball  as  it  leaves  the  hands  to  impart  a 
little  twist  or  ''English”  to  the  ball.  On  long  shots  one  should 
flex  the  legs  more  and  jump  off  the  floor  as  the  ball  is  released. 
Another  exceedingly  important  point  in  shooting  goals  is  to 
locate  the  basket  quickly  and  to  keep  the  eye  on  the  point 
aimed  at  until  the  ball  has  been  released. 

The  writer  earlier  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  in  han- 
dling a ball  rare  judgment  must  be  exercised.  In  throwing 
goals  one  can  readily  see  that  a ball  arched  high  and  descend- 
ing from  a point  above  the  basket  has  a far  better  chance  to  go 
through.  That  is  common  sense.  The  highest  point  the  ball 
reaches  in  its  flight  from  the  shooter  should  be  slightly  be- 
yond the  half  way  m.ark  between  him  and  the  basket.  All  shots 
ten  feet  or  more  from  the  basket  should  be  aimed  to  go  straight 
through  instead  of  using  the  back-board  for  a carom  shot. 


10 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


For  close  or  under  the  basket  shots,  it  is  best  to  use  the  back- 
board  aiming-  at  a point  twelve  to  fourteen  inches  above  the 
basket  rim  and  slightly  toward  the  side  from  which  the  shot  is 
made.  The  “English'"  given  the  ball  tends  to  carry  it  over  and 
down  into  the  basket  Too  much  “English"  is  a bad  fault. 

Another  matter  of  comon  sense  is  taking  into  considera- 
tion, when  shooting  in  motion,  the  fact  that  whatever  speed  a 
player  is  traveling  when  he  receives  a ball  prior  to  shooting  is 
adding  that  same  forward  speed  to  the  ball.  Therefore  when 
shooting  on  a run,  a player  must  compensate  by  tossing  a more 
or  less  dead  ball  or  a floater;  otherwise  the  ball  will  carry  too 
far  or  rebound  too  much.  This  is  a very  common  mistake  in 
beginners  and  frequently  a fault  of  experienced  players. 

The  underhand  shot,  while  more  accurate  possibly  than 
the  breast  shot,  is  more  readily  blocked  since  the  ball  starts 
from  the  waist.  The  ball  for  this  shot  is  grasped  by  the  fingers 
and  thumbs  with  the  elbows  close  to  the  body.  The  ball  is 
tossed  with  a sort  of  a wrist  snap  which  imparts  a little  ‘"Eng- 
lish," This  shot  is  used  by  most  of  the  beginners  but  is  really 
no  easier  than  the  breast  shot  after  practice.  Both  these  types 
of  shooting  are  universally  used  in  making  free  throws.  Per- 
sonally, I believe  the  breast  shot  is  better  even  in  throwing 
from  the  foul  line. 

The  double  overhead  shot  is  executed  by  tossing  the  ball 
from  over  the  head  grasped  in  the  same  manner  by  fingers  and 
thumbs  as  explained  in  breast  shot.  It  is  surprising  how  ac- 
curate one  may  become  with  this  shot  and  also  how  effective 
it  is  when  guarded  closely,  especially  if  one  has  a little  ad- 
vantage in  height.  The  single  overhead  shot  is  made  by  hold- 
ing the  ball  on  the  tips  of  fingers  and  thumb  of  one  hand  and 
throwing  it  in  much  the  same  manner  as  one  would  throw  a 
baseball,  except  that  the  finger  tips  guide  the  ball  and  are 
whipped  down  under  it  for  “English."  The  outstanding  fea- 
ture of  this  shot  lies  in  the  fact  that  a player  may  turn  his  body 
or  side  toward  a guard  and  still  execute  it  with  a fair  degree  of 
accuracy.  It  is  also  an  effective  and  easy  shot  to  make  while 
up  off  the  floor. 

Another  one  hand  shot  especially  for  close  or  under  the 
basket  is  the  one  hand  push  shot.  This  is  usually  used  when 
shooting  following  a dribble  up  to  the  basket,  or  when  receiv- 
ing a ball  while  running  under  the  basket.  It  is  made  by  carry- 
ing or  pushing  the  ball  up  with  one  hand,  fingers  and  thumb 


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11 


only  touching  the  ball  and  given  a twist  by  the  tips  of  the 
fingers  as  it  leaves  the  hand.  The  point  in  favor  of  this  shot  is 
that  a player  may  jump  his  highest  and  still  guide  the  ball  over 
and  into  the  basket,  using  the  back-board.  In  fact  some  rangy 
players  can  nearly  lay  the  ball  in  the  basket  with  this  shot. 
One  with  practice  may  become  equally  accurate  with  either 
hand.  Most  players  use  the  right  hand  for  this  shot,  and  nat- 
urally use  it  on  the  right  side  of  the  basket.  When  running 
under  the  basket  to  the  left  side,  some  right-handed  players  are 
out  of  position  for  a quick  shot  unless  they  can  use  the  left 
hand  effectively  or  perhaps  jump  in  the  air  and  turn  toward 
the  basket  and  shoot  using  the  underhand  shot.  I believe  the 
latter  a very  awkward  and  difficult  shot.  A better  shot  from 
the  position  under  discussion  is  the  overhand  wrist  snap  shot. 
It  can  be  made  while  running  with  great  speed  by  leaping  up 
and  bending  backward  and  snapping  the  ball  up  and  over  the 
head  for  a bank  shot.  The  ball  is  given  its  impetus  largely  by 
the  wrists  although  the  forearms  arc  swung  up  somewhat. 
After  executing  this  shot,  the  player  lands  in  a position  to  turn 
and  get  back  rapidly  for  a second  shot. 

Passing 

Clean  snappy  passing  in  basketball  is  a part  of  the  game 
that  requires  skill  and  practice.  No  other  feature  so  thrills  the 
spectators  as  a fast  passing  offense  where  the  ball  is  worked  up 
the  floor  to  a position  for  a shot  at  the  basket.  A good  pass  is 
easily  handled  and  should  be  made  chest  high  so  that  the  re- 
ceiver does  not  have  to  slow  up  or  reach  down  to  secure  it.  A 
player  while  running  around  the  floor  carries  his  hands  above 
the  waist  naturally  and  in  a position  to  catch  a ball  chest  high. 

Several  different  passes  are  used  depending  upon  the  relative 
position  of  the  passer  and  receiver.  For  short  passes  there  is 
the  push  pass  and  the  underhand  toss.  Both  these  types  may 
be  used  either  with  one  or  both  hands.  The  push  pass  is  made 
by  holding  the  ball  similarly  to  the  manner  of  holding  it  for  a 
breast  shot  at  the  basket.  Therein  lies  one  feature  of  its  ef- 
fectiveness. A player  may  fake  a shot  and  pass  off  or  vice 
versa.  He  also  may  fake  the  push  pass  in  one  direction  and 
after  extending  the  arms  with  the  ball  use  a single  hand  wrist 
snap  pass  in  another  direction.  The  push  pass  itself  is  simply 
pushing  the  ball  away  from  the  body  and  is  held  by  the  fingers 
and  thumbs. 


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INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


The  underhand  pass  is  made  by  tossing  the  ball,  usually 
by  one  hand,  from  a position  a little  below  the  waist.  It  is  a 
free  arm  swing  and  is  guided  by  the  fingers  which  last  touch  it. 
This  pass  is  not  so  easily  handled  as  the  push  pass,  because  in 
holding  it  the  fingers  point  down  and  when  passed  they  cause 
the  ball  to  rotate  in  the  wrong  direction. 

Another  very  common  pass  for  either  short  or  medium 
length  passes  is  the  wrist  snap  or  throw  pass  used  also  by 
either  one  or  both  hands.  Using  one  hand,  it  is  held  by  fingers 
and  thumb  pointing  up  with  hand  bent  back  slightly.  The 
pass  is  started  from  a point  a little  above  the  shoulder,  occa- 
sionally lower.  The  arm  is  drawn  back  and  the  ball  is  pro- 
pelled by  throwing  the  arm  forward,  much  as  in  throwing  a 
baseball,  and  finishing  with  a wrist  snap  under  the  ball,  which 
imparts  a rotation  that  floats  the  ball.  Two  hands  may  be 
used  for  this  pass.  I believe  there  is  no  advantage  in  using 
two  hands  although  some  coaches  advocate  it  strongly.  The 
one  exception  is,  when  the  ball  is  caught  by  a right  handed 
player  above  the  left  shoulder  and  a pass  off  made  quickly. 

For  long  passes,  the  over  arm  hook  pass  is  the  accepted 
one.  For  the  hook  pass,  the  ball  is  held  in  palm  of  hand,  stead- 
ied by  fingers,  thumb  and  lower  part  of  forearm.  In  making 
the  pass,  the  arm  is  swung  up  over  the  head,  the  ball  being 
released  by  snapping  the  fingers  under  it,  imparting  the  neces- 
sary upward  rotation  that  makes  the  ball  carry  well  for  a long 
pass.  This  pass  is  especially  well  adapted  and  very  effective 
against  close  guarding.  A player  may  become  very  efficient 
in  executing  the  long  hook  pass  after  jumping  in  the  air.  It  is 
very  difficult  to  guard  against,  and  is  used  by  teams  employing 
a long  pass  game.  The  short  hook  pass  is  made  similarly.  A 
player  may  get  a rebound  from  either  bank,  turn  in  air  after 
jumping  and  hook  the  ball  to  a teammate.  Tall  rangy  players 
or  men  who  can  get  well  up  off  the  floor  can  use  the  short  hook 
pass  with  telling  affect  up  near  a basket  for  re-passes. 

Some  teams  become  very  proficient  in  batting  the  ball  one 
to  another.  In  this  the  palms  of  the  hands  are  used.  As  a 
ball  is  passed  to  a player  for  a re-pass,  the  balks  momentum  is 
5 efficient  to  hold  it  momentarily  against  the  receiver’s  palms 
as  he  pushes  or  bats  it  in  the  direction  desired,  the  palms  mak- 
ing a sort  of  a carom  board.  A quick  re-pass  to  the  player  who 
first  passed  is  often  effective,  and  this  batting  pass  is  the 
quickest  return  possible. 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


13 


Receiving  a Pass 

A player  should  at  alF  times  carry  himself  in  readiness  to 
receive  a quick  or  unexpected  pass.  The  fingers  and  thumbs 
should  be  firm,  yet  flexed  and  spread  out,  making  a basket  as 
nearly  as  possible.  The  ball  should  be  caught  so  that  no  ad- 
justment in  the  hands  is  necessary  in  order  to  pass  off  or  shoot 
for  a basket.  Therefore,  the  palms  should  be  turned  away  from 
the  body  with  the  thumbs  toward  each  other.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary, either  in  passing  or  shooting  a goal  following  a catch, 
to  lower  the  ball.  Shoot  from  where  you  get  hold  of  it.  When 
receiving  a pass,  one  must  keep  the  eyes  on  the  ball  until  it  is 
caught.  Most  fumbled  passes  result  from  looking  away  and 
feeling  for  the  ball.  All  passes  should  be  caught  by  the  hands 
and  not  against  the  body.  Basketball  is  now  beyond  that  stage. 
Speed  in  handling  a ball  is  essential  in  the  game  now,  and  that 
is  best  attained  by  the  use  of  the  hands  and  fingers.  When  re- 
ceiving a pass,  do  not  fight  the  ball,  but  rather  relax  and  give 
a little  as  it  strikes. 

The  reader  will  note  in  these  paragraphs  relative  to  pass- 
ing, shooting,  receiving  the  ball,  etc.,  that  frequent  mention  is 
made  of  the  use  of  the  fingers.  I believe  that  few  realize  early 
enough  in  the  game,  that  the  finger  touch  has  everything  to  do 
in  clever  handling  of  the  ball.  The  ''feeb’  of  the  ball  is  frorn 
the  finger  tips,  and  not  the  palm.  A skillful  player  can  catch 
the  hardest  pass  one  handed  as  well  as  throw  goals  from  long 
distances  by  proper  use  of  the  fingers. 

Dribbling 

Dribbling  is  defined  in  the  rules  as  giving  impetus  to  the 
ball  by  throwing,  batting,  bouncing,  rolling,  fumbling,  or 
muffing  it,  and  touching  it  again  before  it  touches  another 
player.  The  only  dribble  taught  in  the  game  by  competent 
coaches,  is  that  of  bouncing  the  ball  successively  on  the  floor 
while  running  by  batting  or  pushing  the  ball  down  as  it  re- 
bounds. Here  again  the  fingers  play  a most  important  part,  for 
they  guide  the  direction  of  the  ball  as  required  in  the  push 
down.  For  speed  in  dribbling,  it  is  best  to  bend  forward  from 
the  hips  and  make  short  and  low  bounces.  The  ball  is  better 
kept  in  control  in  that  manner.  Keep  the  ball  well  out  in  front. 

During  a dribble,  the  ball  may  be  batted  over  an  opponent, 
but  the  dribble  ceases  if  it  is  tossed  over.  In  changing  direc- 


14 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


tion  (hiring  a dribble,  some  players  carry  the  ball  momentarily 
in  tlie  dribbling  hand.  It  is  a technical  foul,  and  competent 
references  call  it  at  once. 

The  great  use  of  a dribble  comes  in  breaking  away  from  a 
bunch  on  the  floor,  advancing  when  no  teammate  is  available 
for  a pass,  or  going  clear  up  to  an  unguarded  basket  for  a shot. 
Some  teams  are  taught  to  dribble  every  time  a player  gets 
possession  of  the  ball ; some  have  one  or  two  exceptional  men 
who  dribble  often,  while  other  teams  are  coached  to  dribble 
only  when  no  adyantageous  pass  can  be  made.  I believe  in  the 
latter  method  of  its  employment,  the  dribble  attains  its  greatest 
effectiveness.  A man  dribbling  opens  the  defense,  and  draws 
one  or  two  opponents  away  from  teammates  to  whom  a quick 
pass  and  break  can  be  effected. 


As  will  be  noted  in  the  above  diagram,  the  finish  of  the 
dribble  has  ended  in  a reverse.  The  turn  is  made  on  the  toe. 
It  is  very  simple,  yet  requires  lots  of  practice  to  execute 
rapidly. 


Stopping  and  Starting 

How  to  stop  while  running  at  full  speed  seems  a simple 
thing  to  accomplish,  yet  very  few  players  on  a basketball  floor 
can  stop  as  quickly  as  they  should.  In  order  to  stop  suddenly, 
a player  must  have  perfect  balance  or  poise  and  should  land 
flat  footed  without  stiffening  the  muscles  of  leg  too  much.  The 
leg  should  be  flexed  at  knee  in  order  to  assimilate  the  mo- 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


15 


mentiim  of  one’s  weight:  as  much  as  possible.  A man  may  land 
on  one  foot  and  use  it  as  a lever  to  jump  to  the  side  avoiding 
an  opponent.  Another  manner  to  stop  quickly  is  to  jump  for- 
ward  slightly,  landing  on  both  feet  flat,  and  th^n  jump  to  the 
side.  After  stopping  in  either  way,  one  may  turn  and  come 
straight  back.  At  any  rate  a successful  stop  loses  a man 
guarding  and  full  advantage  should  be  taken  at  once.  The 
chief  use  of  the  stop  is  to  get  away  from  an  opponent.  It  is 
effective  following  a dribble  also. 

In  starting,  the  main  point  to  remember  is  the  position  of 
the  feet  with  relation  to  each  other.  On  the  basketball  floor 
one  foot  should  always  be  ahead  of  the  other  and  spread. 
Proper  position  for  the  feet  might  be  explained  as  follows — 
imagine  an  eighteen  inch  square  and  place  the  toe  of  one  foot 
in  one  corner  with  the  heel  of  the  other  foot  in  the  opposite 
corner  of  the  square.  With  the  weight  of  the  body  resting  on 
balls  of  feet  in  this  relation  and  with  the  trunk  carried  slightly 
forward,  one  is  in  a position  to  start  in  any  direction  by  using 
one  foot  as  a pivot  and  the  other  to  drive.  Do  not  take  a long 
stride  'or  step  in  starting,  but  lengthen  the  stride  as  speed  is 
gained.  A good  way  to  get  away  from  your  man  from  a stand 
ing  position,  is  to  take  the  first  step  in  one  direction  and  then 
use  that  foot  as  a lever  to  suddenly  dart  in  another  direction. 

Jumping 

In  jumping  for  a ball  either  on  a tossed  ball  at  center  or 
for  a rebound  from  bank-board,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that 
timing  of  the  jump  is  most  important.  I have  seen  short  men 
repeatedly  get  the  tip-off  at  center  on  much  taller  men,  even 
though  both  had  relatively  an  equal  amount  of  spring.  A cen- 
ter should  consider  carefully  the  height  the  referee  for  that 
particular  game  tosses  the  ball,  for  all  referees  do  not  toss  alike. 
He  should  study  and  time  his  jump  so  that  when  he  is  at  the 
extreme  height  of  his  jump,  he  just  tips  the  ball  coming  down. 
That  is  another  point  that  means  inches  on  the  jump.  Extend 
the  fingers  and  just  tip  the  ball.  It  is  unnecessary  to  bat  the 
ball  except  on  one  or  two  plays  usually.  When  a ball  is 
batted,  most  of  the  hand  is  used.  Of  course,  when  ready  to 
jump,  one  must  be  on  his  toes  with  the  knees  bent  slightly,  and 
just  prior  to  jumping  let  the  weight  down  by  bending  knees 
more  and  then  springing  straight  up  off  the  toes. 

One  should  practice  jumping  for  rebounds  and  center-tips, 
turning  in  the  air  after  receiving  the  ball,  and  passing  off. 


16 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


Following  Shots 

One  fundamental  feature  of  individual  play  is  hard  and 
clever  following  the  ball  after  a shot  at  the  basket.  Two  teams 
may  be  equal  in  all  other  departments  of  the  game,  but  the  one 
which  is  taught  to  follow  shots  best  will  win.  Players  should 
follow  their  teammate's  shots  as  well  as  their  own.  Further- 
more, it  is  equally  as  important  to  follow  opponent's  shots  at 
their  basket  in  order  to  secure  possession  of  the  ball  and  get  it 
out  of  dangerous  territory  quickly.  In  basketball  as  in  football 
the  play  of  both  teams  is  aimed  to  get  the  ball  in  striking  dis- 
tance o^  the  goal  for  a score.  Therefore,  when  a shot  is  made 
at  your  own  basket  by  any  member  of  the  team,  try  to  keep  it 
near  the  basket  for  successive  shots.  This  can  only  be  done  by 
hard  aggressive  following  of  the  ball.  A player  is  not  usually 
penalized  for  going  after  a ball  even  if  in  so  doing  he  bumps 
an  opponent  hard  or  knocks  him  off  his  feet.  In  following 
shots,  a player  should  not  rush  in  too  quickly.  That  is  the 
error  most  players  make.  They  follow  too  quickly  and  the  ball 
rebounds  over  their  head  from  the  back-board.  The  player  is 
usually  coming  down  from  his  jump  when  he  should  be  going 
up  off  his  feet.  Go  in  fast  and  hard,  but  time  the  jump.  It  is  a 
matter  of  judgment  and  experience  will  teach  a smart  player 
the  proper  moment  for  his  lunge.  Now  as  a rule  the  time  to 
dart  in  after  a rebound  is  just  as  the  ball  hits  the  back-board 
or  basket,  the  elevation  of  the  shot  being  a determining  factor. 
After  following  a shot  successfully  a clever  player  often  exe- 
cutes a hook  pass  to  a teammate  who  is  in  position  to  shoot 
again  if  the  follow  was  made  from  own  basket  or  to  a team- 
mate in  a position  to  pass  up  floor  quickly  if  follow  was  made 
under  opponent's  basket.  When  landing  on  the  floor,  have  the 
feet  spread  ready  to  go  in  any  direction  fast.  This  part  of  the 
game  demands  aggressive  playing,  alertness  and  agility  in  a 
high  degree.  In  practice  of  shooting  baskets,  players  should 
always  follow  shots. 


Turning,  Reversing,  Pivoting 

The  three  terms  heading  this  section  mean  practically  the 
same  thing.  A turn  and  a reverse  are  essentially  the  same, 
while  a pivot,  in  the  phraseology  of  the  basketball  court,  is  a 
double  reverse.  In  turns  there  are  the  quarter,  half,  which  is 
reversing,  three  quarters  and  full  which  is  pivoting. 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


17 


Turns  in  basketball  are  the  most  efective  manner  in  which 
to  avoid  opponents.  A smart  player  employing  turns  skillfully 
is  the  toughest  proposition  on  the  court  imaginable.  Five  men 
well  coached  in  this  fundamental  make  a most  formidable  of- 
fensive combination. 

A turn  or  reverse  is  accomplished  by  using  one  foot  as  a 
pivot  on  which  to  turn  while  pushing  off  with  the  other.  The 
turn  is  to  the  rear,  merely  reversing  the  direction  the  player 
executing  it  was  facing.  The  great  advantage  of  a reverse  is 
placing  the  back  and  body  between  ball  and  opponent.  It  is 
also  a quick  side-step,  and  when  executed  twice  in  succession 
carries  a player  well  out  of  reach  of  an  advancing  opponent. 
The  following  will  illustrate  the  steps  taken  in  making  these 
turns. 


^ Pivot  Sketch 

Turns  may  be  used  to  advantage  following  a dribble  when 
the  dribbler  encounters  a defensive  man.  In  that  case  he  can 
stop,  reverse  and  hand  the  ball  off  to  a teammate  trailing. 

Turns  also  are  effective  when  receiving  passes  in  order  to 
elude  a guard. 

Blocking  and  Guarding 

Skillful  blocking  and  guarding  is  very  important  in  the 
modern  game  of  basketball.  One  weak  man  in  the  defensive 
part  of  the  game  will  often  cause  his  team  to  be  beaten.  Block- 
ing in  reality  is  fouling,  but,  a player  may  execute  a block  so 
cleverly  that  the  officials  seldom  call  a foul.  A player  blocking 
usually  takes  an  opponent  who  is  guarding  a teammate.  A 


18 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


great  variety  of  plays  may  be  concocted  with  the  use  of  a 
block,  whereby  a clever  basket  shooter  is  left  unguarded.  For 
example,  when  a player  has  the  ball  out  of  bounds,  his  guard  is 
in  bounds  and  usually  in  front  of  him.  The  out  of  bounds 
player  may  pass  into  a teammate  and  receive  a re-pass,  while 
a third  teammate  is  blocking  his  guard,  thus  presenting  an  op- 
portunity for  a dribble  down  floor  and  a possible  shot.  Block- 
ing plays  may  be  started  from  the  tip  ©ff  at  center  or  from  the 
finish  of  a dribble,  when  a player  reverses,  passes  off  and  then 
blocks  the  guard  of  the  teammate  to  whom  he  passed. 

Guarding,  as  understood  by  most  boys  is  playing  an  op- 
ponent closely.  As  a matter  of  fact,  it  is  well  to  play  your  man 
hard  while  on  defense,  but  to  actually  play  the  ball  rather  than 
the  man,  is  the  best  mode  of  defense.  If  one  plays  his  man  in- 
stead of  the  ball,  he  may  prevent  that  particular  opponent  from 
scoring  a basket.  However,  the  best  defense  is  possession  of 
the  ball.  The  other  team  cannot  score  while  you  have  the  ball. 
Therefore,  play  the  ball  when  guarding.  You  will  find  it  easier 
to  do  that  than  to  play  the  man  for  the  burden  is  on  the  man  in 
possession  of  the  ball.  In  basketball,  one  of  the  basic  rules  h 
that  possession  of  the  ball  is  not  restricted  to  one  side  or  the 
other  while  in  play. 

In  guarding  a man  not  in  possession  of  the  ball,  it  is  best 
to  remain  between  him  and  his  basket.  'Keep  him  out  of  the 
passing  or  team  play.  Do  not  let  him  get  past  you.  In  case  he 
does  gain  the  ball,  do  not  charge  him  or  he  can  easily  avoid  you 
with  a reverse  or  pivot.  Do  not  gather  momentum  in  his  di- 
rection. Make  him  show  his  hand.  If  he  is  too  far  from  the 
basket  to  shoot,  then  he  must  either  pass  ofJ^or  dribble.  If  he 
passes,  keep  between  him  and  his  basket ; while  if  he  dribbles, 
force  him  out  of  bounds  while  you  close  in  on  him  gradually 
to  play  for  the  ball. 

Always  keep  your- eyes  on  the  man  you  are  guarding.  If 
you  do  not,  he  will  elude  you  while  you  are  looking  for  the  ball. 
You  can  always  tell  where  the  ball  is  by  the  movements  he 
makes  and  occasionally  you  can  get  him  in  such  a position  that 
you  can  see  both  him  and  the  ball.  Be  on  your  toes  at  all 
times,  feet  apart,  ready  to  dart  in  any  direction  your  opponent 
may  go.  Remember  — do  not  charge  at  him  if  he  dribbles  to- 
ward his  basket  and  you  arc  between  him  and  it.  In  such  a 
case  move  in  a line  perpendicular  to  his  direction,  always  keep- 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


19 


ing  directly  in  front  of  him.  Lie  will  soon  have  to  avoid  you 
and  then  you  will  have  an  opportunity  to  force  him  to  pass, 
dribble  out  of  bounds,  or  stop.  In  the  latter  case  it  will  give 
you  a chance  to  gain  the  ball  or  cause  a held  ball. 


Chapter  III 

TEAM  OFFENSIVE  PLAY 
Different  Styles 

The  modern  game  of  basketball  employs  several  types  of 
offensive  team  play  known  as  short  pass,  long  pass,  dribble  and 
combination  of  all  three.  The  most  commonly  used  mode  of 
play  is  the  short  pass  with  a mixture  of  the  long  game.  Too 
frequently  high  school  teams  do  not  study  and  develop  coor- 
dination to  the  extent  they  should,  with  the  result  that  a hap- 
hazard style  is  employed.  The  real  short  pass,  long  pass  and 
dribbling  games  are  essentially  scientific  in  principle  and  re- 
quire conscientious  practice.  It  is  well  to  develop  at  least  two 
styles  of  play,  so  that  in  playing  against  a team  twice,  different 
styles  may  be  used.  Often  in  a game  a team  may  switch  the 
style  with  good  results.  The  easiest  type  of  game  to  develop 
is  the  short  pass  and  where  perfected  it  is  the  hardest  to  beat. 
Of  course  the  size  and  individual  characteristics  of  the  team 
would  determine  to  a great  ext'ent  the  style  of  game  best  to 
adopt. 

The  Short  Pass  Game 

In  the  short  pass  game  any  one  of  several  systems  for  ad- 
vancing the  ball  may  be  employed.  Generally  speaking,  most 
teams,  while  using  the  short  pass  call  into  play  only  four  of 
the  five  players,  usually  both  forwards,  center,  and  the  floor 
guard.  Some  teams,  however,  use  all  five  men  to  advance  the 
ball. 

In  the  criss-cross  or  triangular  type,  the  two  forwards  and 
center  work  together  chiefly,  the  guard  breaking  down  the 
side-line  to  the  basket  for  a shot  at  the  proper  moment.  For 
example.  vSuppose  the  back  guard  has  intercepted  an  opponent 
pass  or  has  taken  a rebound  from  the  bank,  he  will  immediately 
pass  off  to  the  other  guard,  as  a rule,  to  one  side-line.  The 
forwards  break  to  opposite  sides,  while  the  center  dashes  to  the 
side  line  on  which  the  floor  guard  received  the  pass  from  the 
back  guard.  Now  the  center  receives  the  ball  from  the  floor 
guard  and  the  forward  on  opposite  side  dashes  across  floor  at 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


21 


an  angle  receiving  the  ball  from  center  who  cuts  across  behind 
him.  Meanwhile  the  other  forward  has  cut  across  gaining  dis- 
tance toward  the  basket  and  receives  a pass  from  forward  who 
has  ball.  He  repasses  to  center  who  hc^oks  the  ball  to  floor 
guard,  who  by  this  time  has  raced  down  side-line  to  the  basket 
yelling  for  ball  at  right  time.  In  this  style  of  short  passing  the 
man  to  whom  the  ball  is  passed  is  moving  toward  the  ball  elim- 
inating interception.  He  breaks  from  one  side  toward  the  cen- 
ter of  the  floor.  Since  all  start  from  the  side,  the  opponents  are 
not  so  likely  to  jam  the  center  of  the  court. 

Another  style  of  short  pass  is  called  the  side-line  game. 
Most  players  play  more  in  the  center  of  the  court  than  the  side 
lines  or  corners,  as  should  be  the  case.  In  this  style  let  us  sup- 
pose that  the  back  guard  has  again  got  the  rebound  from  the 
bank.  He  passes  off  to  the  other  guard  who  has  dashed  to  the 
side-line  on  which  the  back  guard  got  the  ball.  The  center  and 
both  forwards  break  successively  to  the  same  side-line,  but 
down  the  floor  from  each  other  separated  by  fifteen  or  twenty 
feet.  Now  the  ball  is  snapped  from  the  floor  guard  to  the 
center  who  in  turn  passes  to  the  forward  next  in  line  and  so 
on.  The  second  forward  passes  off  to  the  back  guard  who,  after 
passing  off  to  floor  guard,  breaks  across  and  down  the  opposite 
side-line  to  the  basket  for  a shot.  The  point  about  this  type  is, 
that  the  players  break  to  the  side-line  where  there  is  plenty  of 
space,  and  the  ball  may  be  passed  or  batted  to  each  other,  mak- 
ing a very  fast  and  direct  offense.  It  gets  the  ball  out  of  dan- 
gerous territory  very  rapidly.  By  clever  work  and  careful  tim- 
ing, this  mode  of  attack  is  very  affective. 

Another  type  of  advancing  the  ball  by  means  of  a short- 
pass  is  to  have  the  center  and  one  forward  work  together  while 
the  floor  guard  and  the  other  forward  work  together.  That  is, 
one  or  the  other  trails  his  mate,  depending  of  course  on  which 
one  has  the  ball.  The  back  guard  acts  as  a trailer  for  all  four 
and  remains  about  twenty-five  feet  from  the  opponent’s  basket. 
This  type  of  game  calls  into  play  snappy  dribbling,  clever 
passing  off  and  smart  reversing.  The  ball  must  be  shuffled  off 
much  as  in  the  manner  a quarter-back  works  delayed  bucks 
or  hidden  ball  tricks.  Now  to  illustrate,  let  us  suppose  that  the 
trusty  back  guard  intercepted  a pass.  He  passes  to  the  center 
who  dribbles  until  he  reaches  a place  where  he  must  either 
shoot  or  pass.  The  center  executes  a reverse  and  hands  the 
ball  off  to  his  trailing  forward  ten  to  twenty  feet  behind.  Of 


22 


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course  the  pass  may  be  made  to  any  other  teammate.  Follow- 
ing the  pass  off  the  center  breaks  away  fast  and  gets  in  position 
to  act  as  trailer  to  his  forward.  This  style  is  simply  a game  of 
twisting,  dribbling,  turning,  passing  off  and  breaking  away,  a 
maze  of  quick  clever  movements  of  hands,  feet  and  body.  The 
passes  may  virtually  be  handing  off  rather  than  passing.  A 
smart  player  will  dribble,  jump,  turn  when  blocked,  fake  a pass 
to  a mate  on  one  side  but  really  hand  it  off  to  one  rushing  past 
on  the  other  side.  In  case  trailers  are  blocked  one  may  always 
pass  back  to  the  back  guard,  at  which  time  the  system  starts 
over  again.  Frequently  one  player  may  break  for  an  opening 
around  the  basket,  yell  for  the  ball,  get  a snap  pass  and  take  a 
shot  on  the  run.  In  this  style  the  ball  is  not  always  passed 
back. 


The  Long  Pass 

There  are  two  types  of  the  long  pass  game,  the  long  hook 
pass  and  the  arched  pass.  In  the  hook  pass  method,  a tall  man, 
either  the  center  or  a forward,  plays  back  near  his  own  basket, 
and  comes  out  to  meet  a long  pass  when  a guard  or  other  team- 
mate has  gained  possession  of  the  ball  down  the  floor.  The 
rangy  player  who  meets  the  pass  must  be  able  to  get  well  up 
off  his  feet  and  handle  the  ball  rapidly,  using  good  judgment 
as  to  whom  he  passes.  The  pass  itself  must  be  made  to  reach 
the  receiver  coming  out  above  the  head.  When  the  pass  is 
made,  one  guard  and  another  player,  usually  a forward,  race 
down  the  floor  on  opposite  side-lines  receiving  a short  hook  or 
bat  off  by  the  man  who  got  the  long  pass.  From  that  point 
two  or  three  short  snappy  passes  may  have  to  be  made  to  get  a 
man  open  for  a clean  shot  in  case  a dribble  to  the  basket  cannot 
be  made.  The  player  meeting  the  long  pass  must  get  back  into 
the  play  immediately  following  his  pass  off.  He  may  get  a re 
pass  in  position  to  shoot  if  he  is  fast. 

When  a long  arched  pass  game  is  used  the  aim  is  to  float 
the  ball  ahead  of  a player  as  he  dashes  down  the  floor  toward 
his  basket.  After  receiving  it,  he  is  frequently  blocked  and  he 
should  execute  a jump  turn  and  hand  the  ball  off  to  a trailer, 
then  break  for  a re-pass.  This  pass  is  worked  to  a tall  fast 
man  who  breaks  rapidly  into  spaces  at  the  proper  moment, 
which  time  is  usually  immediately  following  an  intercepted 
ball  by  a teammate  and  before  opponents  can  again  get  into 
defensive  position  and  while  their  momentum  is  in  the  wrong 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


23 


direction.  The  trouble  with  this  style  of  pass  is  that  it  is  too 
slow  and  therefore  easily  intercepted. 

The  Dribbling  Game 

In  this  type  all  members  start  to  dribble  when  gaining 
possession  of  the  ball.  A player  will  get  the  ball  and  dribble 
until  blocked  and  then  pass  off  ahead  or  behind  following  a 
reverse.  The  trouble  with  the  dribble  game  is  that  it  is  un- 
likely that  one  team,  will  have  five  smart  dribblers  who  can 
execute  stops  and  reverses  cleverly  also.  A dribbler  should 
keep  away  from  corners  and  side-lines.  He  wants  plenty  of 
room  in  which  to  move. 

Offensive  team  play  must  work  out  and  adopt  a system 
suited  to  the  material  at  hand.  Team  play  requires  a certain 
amount  of  self-sacrifice.  For  one  man  to  shoot  from  all  dis- 
tances regardless  of  a nearer  teammate  is  ruinous.  Such  a 
player  should  be  benched.  Many  team  records  have  been 
spoiled  owing  to  rupture  on  a squad  of  stars  for  this  reason. 
When  a team  is  on  offense  all  five  men  must  be  in  motion 
somewhere.  If  you  want  a pass,  yell  and  move  toward  the  ball. 
Play  a loose  ball  hard,  even  to  diving  for  it  as  if  it  were  a foot- 
ball. Your  best  man  is  the  one  who  has  possession  of  the  ball 
most.  Do  not  pass  to  a stationary  player. 


Chapter  IV 

TEAM  DEFENSIVE  PLAY 


It  too  often  happens  that  many  teams  neglect  the  defensive 
side  of  their  game  in  practice.  It  is  just  as  necessary  to  de- 
velop a system  of  defense  as  it  is  to  perfect  an  offensive  attack. 
The  practice  of  many  high  schools  consists  chiefly  of  throwing 
baskets  followed  with  a long  scrimmage.  The  players  strive 
to  score  and  do  not  work  out  a plan  of  defense.  It  is  true  that 
a strong  offense  is  a defensive  measure.  Still,  a strong  defense 
that  is  hard  to  penetrate  will  demoralize  the  opposing  team 
quicker  than  any  other,  method. 

Several  schemes  of  defense  are  used  nowadays,  the  most 
effective  being  the  ''five  men  back''  or  "line"  defense.  It  may 
be  Avorked  in  different  ways  to  get  the  same  result.  The  main 
feature  of  the  "five  men  back"  defense  is  to  have  the  entire 
team  between  opponents  and  their  basket  immediately  follow- 
ing an  intercepted  ball  by  the  opponents.  Now,  some  teams 
are  coached  to  preserve  a strict  man  for  man  defense ; that  is,  a 
forward  when  on  defense  will  cover  his  own  guard,  a guard  will 
cover  his  forward  and  the  center  will  check  his  center.  The 
men  rush  down  floor,  the  moment  the  other  team  gets  the  ball, 
to  a point  usually  two-thirds  of  the  court  and  there  meet  their 
own  man.  The  other  team  will  pass  and  dribble  up  to  this  de- 
fensive point  and  are  here  forced  to  shoot  long  or  pass  back,  if 
the  men  on  defense  check  their  men  hard  and  close  as  they 
should.  Of  course,  the  offensive  side  in  meeting  this  defense 
will  try  to  break  a man  or  two  through  up  to  the  basket  and 
pass  them  the  ball.  Proper  close  guarding  or  sticking  usually 
results  in  the  defensive  side  getting  the  ball,  when  they  in  turn 
go  on  offense  with  their  system  as  fast  as  possible.  In  case  a 
man  elects  to  shoot  over  a five  man  defense,  the  defending  team 
is  in  a nearer  and  better  position  to  get  the  rebound. 

In  going  on  defense  a team  must  do  it  rapidly  and  with  the 
man  for  man  type,  a player  may  locate  his  own  man  while  run- 
ning down  the  court  to  his  defensive  position.  He  should 
never  stop  and  look  for  him  up-floor.  In  case  he  finds  his  own 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


25 


man  has  eluded  him  and  a teammate  is  playing  him,  he  should 
nail  the  nearest  opponent  he  can  get  to  and  stay  with  him. 

Another  method  of  playing  this  back  defense  is  for  the 
players  to  guard  the  man  nearest  them  when  the  ball  is  inter- 
cepted, the  theory  being  that  a team  can  go  on  defense  faster 
by  this  plan.  The  play  is  then. the  same  up  to  the  point  where 
the  defensive  side  gains  possession  of  the  ball  again. 

Now  there  is  a great  deal  of  difference  of  opinion  among 
coaches  concerning  the  relative  merits  of  these  two  explained 
methods  of  going  on  defense ; namely — playing  your  own  man 
or  playing  the  man  nearest  you,  when  opponents  get  the  ball. 
At  least  for  high  school  basketball,  I believe  the  man  for  man 
defense  is  the  better.  A player  using  this  method  soon  learns 
almost  instinctively  where  his  man  is  and  he  also  learns  his 
individual  characteristics  in  playing  and  can  therefore  guard 
against  them.  All  players  are  not  alike.  Some  are  fast,  some 
are  slow,  and  some  can  reverse  while  others  can  not,  and  so  on. 
In  other  words  a player  soon  knows  how  to  play  his  immediate 
opponent  better.  Furthermore,  I believe  this  method  puts  it 
up  to  a player  in  such  a direct  manner  that  he  feels  the  respon- 
sibility to  a greater  degree.  If  his  man  is  getting  lots  of  shots, 
he  is  largely  to  blame.  He  is  being  out-played  and  will  double 
his  efforts  to  out-play  him.  Of  course  a player  must  not  make 
it  an  individual  matter  and  sacrifice  a team  play  to  out-score 
his  man.  He  must  at  all  times  keep  u])per-most  in  his  mind  that 
team  play  is  first  but  also  that  he  is  held  responsible  for  his 
man. 

Some  argue  against  the  man  for  man  style,  saying  that 
blocks  and  shifts  are  effective  against  it.  They  are  boomerangs 
if  the  man  for  man  is  worked  properly.  In  case  a block  is  at- 
tempted the  blocker's  man  takes  his  teammate's  man  and 
sticks.  Such  an  attempted  game  i-s  a play  and  usually  results 
in  an  intercepted  ball,  if  the  play  is  gone  through  with.  In 
case  it  is  not,  then  the  offense  is  balled  up.  Taking  the  nearest 
man  requires  a great  deal  of  practice  in  order  to  avoid  two 
taking  the  same  man 

Most  teams  have  one  guard  back  near  the  basket  to  plav 
safety  and  he  of  course  covers  any  opponent  who  may  have 
broken  away  on  a dribble  or  one  whp  suddenly  intercepts  a 
pass,  and  is  near  enough  to  shoot.  This  back  guard  is  always 
in  a position  to  get  rebounds  and  to  play  out  of  bound  balls 
under  opponents  basket  fast. 


Chapter  V 

SELECTING  PLAYERS 
How  to  Practice 

r believe  it  is  a good  thing  to  start  basketball  practice  early 
in  the  fall  even  if  two  or  three  months  before  the  regular  season 
begins.  There  are  always  a number  of  men  who  do  not  go  out 
for  football  that  may  develop  during  that  time  into  great  play- 
' ers.  It  would  be  foolish  to  practice  every  day.  About  twice  a 
week  is  sufficient  for  the  first  month  and  possibly  three  times 
a week  for  the  next  month.  Otherwise  the  men  will  become 
stale  or  tired  of  basketball  long  before  the  season  is  over.  Re- 
member that  practice  must  be  kept  interesting  and  enjoyable 
to  be  successful  or  worth  anything. 

In  selecting  players,  weed  out  early  all  awkward,  lazy  and 
pepless  candidates.  Your  work  will  progress  much  faster  with 
a bunch  of  men  full  of  pep  and  enthusiasm.  Do  not,  however, 
discard  a player  because  he  appears  slow  at  first.  Some  men 
fairly  slow  soon  get  the  idea  of  speed  and  develop  rapidly.  A 
big  man  has  an  advantage  over  a small  man  in  some  ways,  yet 
the  latter  often  proves  more  valuable.  A small  man  usually  can 
handle  himself  more  readily,  carries  himself  in  better  balance 
and  poise.  Nevertheless,  some  large  players  are  wonderfully 
graceful  on  the  basketball  court. 

I believe  the  ideal  basketball  team  should  have  the  center, 
one  forward  and  one  guard  tall  and  rangy  with  the  other  guard 
and  forward  small  and  fast. 

The  center  chosen  should  certainly  be  tall  with  plenty  of 
spring  in  his  legs  to  get  tip-off.  His  height  and  reach,  in  play- 
ing the  floor  as  he  does  around  the  middle  of  the  court,  conies 
in  handy  in  checking  and  intercepting  passes.  The  center 
should  be  a good  shot  and  good  at  following  shots.  He  should 
be  able  to  execute  hook  passes,  reverses,  and  turns  to  perfec- 
tion. A real  center  can  do  more  in  a game  than  any  other 
player.  He  should  handle  the  ball  oftener  and  therefore  must 
have  a world  of  endurance.  Centers  should  practice  their  jump 
so  as  to  tune  it  to  a fraction  of  a second. 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


27 


Forwards  should  be  quick  accurate  shots,  fast  and  clever 
in  floor  work  and  full  of  fight  and  determination.  If  one  for- 
ward is  tall,  a good  shot  and  able  to  follow  shots  successfully, 
with  the  other  forward  smaller  and  fast  as  lightning  and  clever 
in  all-round  play,  then  you  have  a scoring  combination  that  is 
hard  to  stop.  Both  forwards  must  be  strong  defensively  or 
their  value  to  their  team  is  greatly  impaired.  Forwards  should 
be  quick  thinkers  and  play  ahead  of  their  opponents,  always 
pulling  off  some  clever  effective  trick  or  maneuver. 

Now  the  guards,  in  my  opinion,  should  be  both  fast  and 
good  shots.  One  ought  to  be  a tall  man  who  can  play  ''back 
guard,’’  going  down  fast  occasionally  on  a few  plays.  Fie  must 
be  fearless  and  aggressive  and  able  to  take  the  ball  off  oppon- 
ents bank-board  effectively  and  successfully  get  it  away.  He 
must  also  perfect  the  turns  and  hook  passes  both  long  and  short 
for  it  is  he  who  most  frequently  is  called  upon  to  use  them. 
The  other  guard,  I believe,  should  be  smaller.  He  is  called  the 
floor  guard  and  must  be  a fast  heady  dribbler,  nifty  passer, 
good  at  turning  and  reversing  and  an  excellent  shot,  especially 
the  longer  one.  A smart  floor  guard  with  these  qualifications 
is  usually  the  busiest  and  most  important  cog  in  the  whole 
basketball  machine.  This  guard  working  together  with  a fast 
floor  forward,  both  of  whom  work  the  ball  off  to  the  rangy 
forward  or  tall  center  for  shots,  you  have  an  ideal  working  unit. 

Temperament  and  ability  to  perform  well  under  pressure 
are  characteristics  that  must  be  watched  for.  You  want  only 
men  who  battle  best  when  the  going  is  toughest.  However, 
you  can  instill  needed  traits  in  some  players  by  employing 
proper  tactics.  You  can  also  add  speed  and  ability.  A player 
can  ndver  get  too  much  practice  in  the  fundamentals. 

How  to  Practice 

It  is  necessary  to  cut  your  squad  to  about  four  teams  early 
in  the  season  so  that  the  scrimmage  may  take  up  all  the  time 
allotted  for  that  work,  say  the  first  and  third  teams  scrimmage 
fifteen  minutes  and  then  the  second  and  fourth,  or  any  other 
combination.  Two  teams  scrimmage  and  while  they  rest  the 
two  other  teams  work.  The  freshman  team  can  be  used  by  the 
varsity  teams  for  practice  also,  and  this  affords  good  practice 
since  their  plays  are  somewhat  different. 

Before  starting  scrimmage  work,  it  is  wise  to  have  a few 
fundamental  plays  worked  out  and  thoroughly  understood  by 


28 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


every  member  of  the  squad.  Nothing  is  gained  by  too  early 
scrimmage,  and  frequently  some  players  will  develop  some  bad 
habits  that  will  take  time  to  correct.  Development  of  team 
play  requires  time  and  painstaking  instruction.  Go  over  and 
over  the  system  of  offense  and  defense  to  be  used  so  that  every 
member  can  do  it  almost  mechanically.  Show  it  by  diagrams 
on  a blackboard  and  then  have  the  men  walk  through  it.  When 
you  do  start  scrimmages,  only  have  two  or  three  plays. 

The  offense  can  be  practiced  by  having  the  back  guard 
start  the  play  as  though  he  had  taken  the  ball  off  the  bank- 
board  or  had  intercepted  a pass.  The  defensive  work  may  be 
similarly  practiced  by  having  some  team  take  the  ball  near 
your  basket  and  work  it  down  until  your  team  secures  the  ball 
and  then  start  over  again.  Later,  put  a. team  in  to  check  your 
offense.  After  a week  of  this  kind  of  practice,  it  will  be  time 
to  have  regular  scrimmage  for  both  offense  and  defense. 

One  hour  and  a half  is  sufficient  time  to  work  a team.  Of 
that  time,  I would  ordinarily  devote  a third  to  fundamentals, 
plays  and  scrimmage.  Mondays  and  especially  Fridays,  if 
there  is  a Saturday  game,  should  be  very  light.  On  Mondays 
following  a Saturday  game,  the  work  should  be  corrective  and 
sufficient  to  work  out  any  lameness  or  soreness.  Do  not  have 
more  than  three  scrimmages  a week.  More  time  spent  on  plays 
and  fundamentals  will  accomplish  results  faster.  Do  not  over- 
work the  men.  Stop  work  immediately  when  they  get  lax  and 
stale.  The  only  cure  for  this  is  rest.  You  will  recogmize  this 
state  when  the  men  appear  to  be  losing  their  enthusiasm  for 
the  game. 

Foul  throwers  should  practice  before  and  after  regular 
work-outs.  In  fact  they  can  not  get  too  much  of  it. 

On  the  night  of  a game  get  your  team  at  the  gym  fully  an 
hour  before  the  time  to  start.  That  will  give  you  plenty  of 
time  to  do  any  necessary  taping  and  bandaging,  and  also  time 
to  give  instructions.  Have  them  go  on  the  floor  not  more  than 
fifteen  minutes  before  the  whistle  blows  to  start  the  game.  Of 
this  time  spend  ten  minutes  shooting  goals  and  about  four  or 
five  passing  the  ball,  executing  turns,  short  dribbles,  etc.  I do 
not  think  it  good  practice  for  a team  to  go  on  a floor  and  get 
in  a circle,  as  most  high  school  teams  do.  First  warm  up  easily 
by  taking. twenty  foot  shots,  then  fifteen  and  ten,  always  in 
turn  with  the  shooter  following  his  own  shot.  Following  this 
practice,  have  the  men  line  up  with  an  equal  number  on  each 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


29 


side-line  with  one  player  stationed  at  the  back  of  the  foul- 
circle.  The  first  man  in  line  at  one  side  has  the  ball  and  he 
passes  to  the  man  at  the  circle.  When  the  pass  is  made,  both 
the  passer  and  the  head  man  on  opposite  side  dash  down  the 
side  and  in  to  the  basket.  After  receiving  the  ball  from  the 
leading  man,  say  on  the  left,  the  circle  man  passes  off  to  lead 
man  on  right,  who  then  passes  to  man  who  started  the  first 
pass,  as  he  should  be  close  to  basket  for  short  shot.  Both  then 
pass  and  shoot  until  basket  is  made,  when  ball  is  returned  to 
man  next  in  line  and  repeated,  the  first  pair  going  to  rear  of 
lines  but  on  opposite  sides  so  as  to  vary  their  respective  work. 

Another  method  is  to  have  the  entire  team,  except  one 
player,  line  up  along  one  side-line,  the  first  man  in  line  being 
about  forty  feet  from  the  end  line.  The  player  not  in  line  is 
stationed  at  about  the  center  circle  with  the  ball.  Now  as  this 
player  passes  the  ball  to  the  second  man  in  line,  the  man  at  the 
head  of  the  line  dashes  down  the  floor  for  the  basket,  receiving 
the  ball  from  the  second  man,  who  executes  a long  hook  pass. 
After  the  basket  has  been  made,  the  shooter  takes  the  position 
of  the  man  at  the  center  circle  and  he  in  turn  goes  to  the  rear 
end  of  the  line  so  that  all  move  up.  This  practice  is  very  good 
for  handling  the  ball. 

After  spending  five  minutes  taking  long  shots  and  five 
minutes  passing  and  shooting,  the  remaining  five  minutes 
should  be  spent  in  short  snappy  passes  and  dribbles  at  one  end 
of  the  floor  in  order  to  get  thoroughly  warmed  up.  The  foul 
shooters  should  take  another  ball  after  warming  up  and  try  to 
shoot  fouls  for  five  minutes. 

I firmly  believe  that  most  basketball  teams  are  over- 
worked, especially  high  school  teams.  Fundamentals  are  more 
important  than  scrimmages  and  take  comparatively  little  out 
of  the  men.  Therefore,  practice  during  the  mid-season  with 
Saturday  games  should  consist  of  light  work  on  Monday  and 
Friday,  plays  and  fundamentals,  with  heavier  work  on  Tues- 
day and  Thursday  and  possibly  a hard  workout  on  Wednesday. 
Give  the  boys  practically  two  days  to  rest  before  a real  hard 
game.  You  will  be  surprised  at  the  difference  it  makes. 

Between  halves  be  sure  to  have  the  men  who  were  in  the 
first  half  lie  down.  Have  some  one  wash  their  faces,  neck  and 
upper  body  with  cold  water  and  then  thoroughly  rub  dry.  The 
legs  should  be  rubbed  also.  At  this  time  the  coach  himself 


30 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


should  be  careful  of  his  words  and  actions.  If  his  team  is 
behind,  he  should  instruct  them  in  their  faults,  being  careful 
not  to  appear  discouraged.  If  ahead  at  half  time,  warn  the  team 
against  taking  it  easy.  Send  them  out  to  work  harder  than 
ever.  If  any  players  need  censure,  wait  until  Monday. 


Chapter  VI 

PLAYS  AND  SIGNALS 


As  stated  before,  many  teams  devote  too  much  precious 
practice  time  on*  a maze  of  intricate  plays  most  of  which  start 
at  center  on  the  tip-off.  They  are  usually  making  the  common 
mistake  of  thinking  only  of  offense  and  scoring.  They  are  op- 
timistic in  the  matter  of  securing  the  ball  which  is  all  import- 
ant on  these  plays.  All  plays  should  be  so  designed  that  the 
defense  is  taken  care  of  in  case  the  opponents  secure  the  ball 
following  the  center's  jump  and  tip-off.  Comparatively  few 
baskets  are  made  from  plays  starting  from  center.  Some  teams 
may  have  a center  so  tall  and  springy  that  he  invariably  gets 
the  tip-off  and  again  centers  on  some  teams  seldom  get  it.  As 
a matter  of  fact,  it  does  not  always  follow  that  the  team  whose 
center  tips  the  ball,  secures  it.  That  is  largely  dependent  on 
the  speed,  alertness  and  cleverness  of  the  forwards  who  usually 
try  to  get  the  ball  after  the  tip-off.  Therefore,  plays  at  center 
should  be  few  in  number,  simple,  and  planned  with  a view  for 
quick  defense,  if  opponents  get  the  ball.  A great  deal  of  time 
should  be  spent  on  teaching  the  players,  the  knack  of  timing 
their  dash  and  jump  for  the  bat-off  so  that  they  invariably  se- 
cure it. 

Basketball  plays  designed  to  operate  following  a held-ball, 
when  out  of  bounds,  when  opponents  are  attempting  a free 
throw,  when  your  team  is  attempting  a free  throw,  and  when 
time  is  taken  out,  result  more  often  in  goals  than  from  plays 
from  center.  At  these  times  the  opponents  are  not  as  alert  as 
when  the  ball  is  tossed  at  center,  especially  with  a ball  out  of 
bounds.  Three  or  four  center  plays,  two  out  of  bound  plays, 
two  following  held  balls  and  two  from  attempted  free  throw 
formations  are  sufficient  and  will  tax  the  ability  of  a team  to 
its  utmost. 


Signals 

For  plays  at  center  the  signals  should  be  given  by  one  of 
the  forwards  preferably,  although  any  one  may  give  them.  The 
center  on  many  teams  gives  the  signals  and  possibly  he  is  the 


32 


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logical  one  for  the  reason  that  he  knows  best  when  and  how  he 
can  jump.  If  the  forward  gives  them,  he  may  indicate  a play 
by  pulling  up  his  sock  with  one  hand,  with  both  hands,  place 
one  hand  on  hip,  both  hands  on  hips,  pull  up  pants  with  one 
hand  both  hands,  run  fingers  through  his  hair  with  one  hand, 
both  hands,  rub  eye  with  one  hand,  clap  his  hands,  bend  trunk 
forward  with  hands  on  knees,  stand  straight  up  with  arms 
folded  over  chest,  hands  clasped  behind,  etc.  He  may  indicate 
a play  also  by  holding  a hand  straight  over  his  head  with  dif- 
ferent fingers  denoting  the  play.  He  may  call  signals  by 
numbers  as  a quarter-back  does  in  football.  The  center  may 
signal  by  the  manner  he  enters  the  circle,  how  he  holds  his 
hands.  Some  give  signals  by  words  in  short  sentences,  such  as 
fight,  play,  pep,  zip,  check.  The  center  may  yell,  'Tight  hard’' 
— fight  indicating  a play,  or  ''play  hard” — play  being  the  key 
to  the  play,  "lots  of  pep  now,”  "show  some  zip,”  "check  your 
man,”  etc.  There  are  countless  ways  of  giving  signals  and 
they  should  be  very  simple.  It  is  best  to  have  two  signals  for 
each  play. 

For  all  diagramed  plays  the  key  is  as  follows: 


I I ) I I I I 1 I I I I I I I I < I 

R.  F. 

L.  F. 

C. 

R.  G. 

L.  G. 


Path  of  player. 
Path  of  ball. 
Path  of  dribble. 
Right  Forward. 
Left  Forward. 
Center. 

Right  Guard. 
Left  Guard. 


Held  Ball  Plays 

Plays  can  be  designed  for  operation  following  held  balls  of 
which  there  are  many  during  a game.  There  are  more  held 
balls,  which  require  a tossed  ball,  than  field  goals  usually. 
Therefore  plays  following  held  balls  are  frequent  and  should  be 
extremely  effective.  Opponents  are  not  looking  for  a sys- 
tematic offense  at  that  time.  See  diagrams  13  and  14. 


Plays  from  Regular  Formation 

The  center  plays  diagramed  from  the  regular  formation 
are  so  designed  that  while  they  all  start  alike,  each  one  ends 
differently.  In  fact  every  man  on  the  team  has  a play  on 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


33 


which  he  shoots  for  the  basket.  Each  play  also  leaves  two  men 
on  defense  at  once.  No  play  is  fundamentally  correct  unless  it 
provides  for  a mis-fire  at  the  tip-off,  when  the  opponents  get 
the  ball. 

In  diagram  No.  1 both  forwards  dash  in  as  though  to  get 
the  tip-off,  but  the  left  forward  gets  the  ball,  bats  it  off  to  the 
left  guard  who  runs  up  half  way.  The  left  guard  hook  passes 
diagonally  across  the  court  to  the  right  forward  who  turns, 
when  he  sees  left  forward  get  tip-off,  and  goes  in  toward  the 
basket  to  receive  pass  from  left  guard.  The  center  comes  back 
on  defense  or  trails  the  right  forward  if  tip-off  is  successful. 
The  right  guard  stays  back  on  defense  and  the  left  guard  re- 
turns following  his  pass  off.  The  left  forward  turns  and  beats 
it  back  to  the  basket  following  his  pass-off  to  guard. 


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Play  No.  2 

Both  forwards  dash  in  as  in  No.  1,  reverse  and  tear  back 
for  the  basket,  the  left  forward  trailing  the  left  guard,  who  re- 
ceives the  ball  on  tip-off  and  dribbles  up  to  basket  for  close 
shot  or  passes  off  to  right  forward.  The  center  and  right  guard 
play  back. 


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35 


Play  No.  3 

This  play  is  similar  to  No.  2 except  that  the  center  trails 
the  left  guard  or  takes  a pass  off  from  him.  Right  forward  re- 
verses and  follows  into  the  basket.  I. eft  forward  and  right 
guard  go  on  defense. 


36 


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Play  No.  4 

Forwards  come  in  as  before  but  go  down  and  block  op- 
ponents' forwards.  The  left  guard  comes  in  fast  to  get  tip-off, 
dribbles  a few  yards  and  passes  off  to  right  guard  who  goes 
down  the  side-line  straight  from  his  position  to  the  basket. 
The  center  trails  the  left  guard  and  is  ready  for  a quick  pass 
from  either  guard. 


DtOijram  A/o  4- 


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37 


Play  No.  5 

Guards  stay  back  and  forwards  dash  in  for  tip-off  as  usual 
except  that  the  right  forward  cuts  across  in  front  of  center  cir- 
cle for  tip-off  and  bats  the  ball  back  over  to  center  who  gets 
out  of  circle  to  right  receiving  the  ball  and  passing  diagonally 
to  left  forward  who  has  reversed  and  hurried  in  to  basket  for 
short  shot.  Both  center  and  right  forward  follow  in  to  help 
left  forward. 


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Play  No.  6 

This  play  is  called  the  ''fake  tip-off/'  The  forwards  dash 
forward  just  before  the  referee  tosses  ball  in  center  reaching 
position  back  of  center  in  motion.  . The  center  fakes  tip-off, 
but  lets  opposing  center  bat  it.  The  center  after  jump  speeds 
down  to  basket  to  receive  hook  pass  from  the  teammate  who 
gets  ball.  One  of  the  four  should  get  it.  Often  a forward  gets 
tip-off  on  this  play  and  is  out  of  position  for  long  pass,  so  he 
short  passes  to  a guard  who  makes  the  pass  to  center.  Very 
effective  late  in  game. 


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39 


Irregular  Methods  of  Lining  up  for  Toss  up  at  Center 

Diagram  Numbers  7,  8,  9,  10,  11  and  12  show  some  differ- 
ent methods  of  lining  up  your  men  on  formations  for  tossed 
ball  at  center.  You  can  figure  out  countless  effective  plays 
with  these.  Make  all  plays  strong  defensively  and  have  them 
begin  similarly.  No.  8 is  especially  well  adapted  for  puzzling 
•offensive  plays.  For  shifting  and  blocking  it  is  very  effective. 

It  is  well  to  have  more  than  one  manner  of  lining  up  for 
tossed  ball  at  center.  While  opponents  are  momentarily  con- 
fused or  figuring  a defense  the  ball  is  tossed  and  the  play 
begun.  Only  one  or  two  plays  should  be  used  from  each 
formation. 


OiaqramNoU 


OiaQrant  No  12 


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41 


Held  Ball  Play  Near  Opponents’  Goal 

Diagram  No.  13  divides  the  court  into  four  imaginary  sec- 
tions, the  large  circle  representing  the  space  where  regular 
center  plays  can  be  used  on  held  ball  there.  This  dagram  pre- 
supposes the  ball  is  held  for  a toss-up  in  Section  2 near  op- 
ponents’ goal.  In  this  case  the  center  is  represented  as  jump- 
ing, the  other  players  being  arranged  as  they  should  nor- 
mally. Both  guards  are  back  near  opponents’  basket,  the  right 
forward  across  court  in  Section  1 near  foul  circle,  while  the  left 
forward  is  in  Section  4 near  middle  of  court.  As  the  ball  is 
tossed,  both  forwards  dash  toward  tossed  ball,  the  right  for- 
ward getting  it  and  snapping  it  off  to  left  forward  who  hook 
passes  up  floor  and  across  to  right  guard  who  started  up  the 
side  line  when  ball  was  tossed.  After  passes  both  forwards 
follow  into  basket  while  left  guard  crosses  over  to  defense  in 
Section  1 left  vacant  by  right  guard,  and  center,  after  jump, 
goes  on  defense  in  left  guards  place  in  Section  2. 


Oiaqranj  No  / 5 


42 


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Held  Ball  Play  Near  Own  Goal 

With  a held  ball  near  your  own  basket,  I would  suggest 
the  following  as  per  diagram  14. 

Let  the  left  forward  jump.  He  tips  the  ball  to  right  for- 
ward who  then  passes  to  the  center  who  passes  across  court  to 
right  guard  who  dribbles  in  and  shoots.  All  follow  in  after  the 
shot  and  try  to*  keep  the  ball  in  their  territory  if  the  shot  is 
missed.  At  the  start  both  guards  are  well  back.  In  any  of 
these  plays,  if  the  one  designated  does  not  jump,  his  place  in 
formation  is  taken  by  teammate.  All  players  must  know  the 
work  of  each  position.  In  any  of  these  plays,  if  ball  is  in  oppo- 
site section,  the  play  simply  reverses. 


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43 


PLAYS  FOLLOWING  OUT  OF  BOUND  BALL 
Ball  in  Opponents’  Territory 

Now  in  these  plays  diagram  No.  15  will  be  effective  for  a 
ball  out  of  bounds  any  where  on  side-line  or  end-line  bounding 
Section  1.  Reverse  the  play  for  ball  out  on  side-line  or  end-line 
bounding  Section  2.  In  diagram  No.  15  the  right  guard  has. 
the  ball  out  at  opponents’  end-line,  center  places  himself  on 
right  side-line,  the  left  guard  on  opposite  side.  The  two  for- 
, wards  line  up  near  middle  of  the  court.,  the  left  forward  nearer 
his  own  basket  and  in  Section  4.  As  the  ball  goes  out  of 
bounds,  the  right  guard  rushes  after  it  and  passes  in  fast  to 
center,  who  meets  the  pass  near  the  corner  of  Section  1 . The 
center  passes  up  side-line  to  right  forward,  cutting  across  to 
same  side  line  and  he  passes  to  left  forward  who  cuts  across. 
The  left  forward  then  passes  off  to  left  guard  who  started  up 
on  opposite  line  at  time  ball  was  first  passed  in  by  right  guard. 
He  should  meet  left  forward’s  pass  near  basket.  Right  guard 
after  the  pass  in,  plays  defense.  A pass  must  never  be  made 
across  in  front  of  the  opponents’  goal. 


44 


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Ball  Out  of  Bounds  in  Own  Territory 

In  this  play  the  right  forward  has  the  ball  out  at  end-line 
of  Section  3.  The  left  forward  cuts  across  and  receives  pass  in 
from  right  forward.  The  left  forward  passes  to  right  guard 
coming  up  side-line  and  he  in  turn  passes  to  center  who  cuts 
to  space  left  by  left  forward  and  there  shoots.  The  left  guard 
plays  safely.  Diagram  No.  16  shows  original  position  of  play- 
ers prior  to  pass  in. 

In  these  plays  the  men  must  hustle  to  their  positions. 
Speed  is  necessary  to  work  them  successfully.  If  another 
player  has  your  position  you  must  play  his. 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


45 


FORMATION  AND  PLAYS  ON  FREE  THROW 
Play  on  Free  Throw  by  Opponents 

Have  the  best  jumpers  line  up  a few  feet  away  from  free 
throw  line,  as  shown  in  diagram  17,  with  two  other  players 
over  near  the  side-line  and  about  twenty  feet  from  end-line. 
One  player  places  himself  just  back  of  foul  circle.  As  the  ball 
hits  the  bank-board  or  basket  the  two  players  near  free  throw 
lane  charge  in  and  jump,  the  one  getting  the  ball  turning  in  air 
and  making  a short  hook  pass  back  to  the  player  on  his  side- 
line who  also  starts  toward  corner  when  ball  hits  basket.  When 
player  back  of  foul  circle  notes  to  which  corner  the  ball  is 
passed,  he  cuts  over  and  takes  re-pass  from  man  in  corner.  He 
then  dribbles  up  towards  his  own  basket  and  shoots  or  passes 
off  to  one  of  the  two  players  who  were  on  the  opposite  side  of 
opponents'  basket  when  free  throw  was  made.  They  are  his 
trailers.  By  this  method  the  ball  is  gotten  away  from  op- 
ponents' territory  in  a hurry  which  is  always  necessary. 


U 


46 


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Play  on  Free  Throw  by  Own  Team 

When  your  own  team  is  trying  a free  throw,  place  a tall 
man  on  either  side  of  free  throw  land  as  described  for  free 
throw  by  opponents.  Place  one  player  on  side  line  about 
twenty  feet  from  corner.  One  player  plays  back  for  safety  at 
opponents'  foul  circle  and  the  fifth  player,  of  course,  trys  the 
free  throw.  As  in  the  other  play,  the  players  near  free  throw 
lane  go  in  and  leap  for  the  ball's  rebound  from  basket  or  bank- 
board  the  moment  tWb  ball  hits  either.  The  man  on  the  left 
free  throw  lane  passes  back  to  player  on  side-line,  who  darts 
into  the  corner  straight  down.  The  player  on  the  right  passes 
or  bats  the  ball  back  to  shooter  on  foul  line.  In  this  play  the 
players  following  the  throw  try  to  bat  the  ball  in  the  basket, 
but  when  that  is  not  feasible,  they  pass  off  as  indicated  in  dia- 
gram No.  18. 


Chapter  VII 

TRAINING  AND  CONDITIONING 

Training  is  systematically  preparing  the  body  and  its  va- 
rious organs  to  withstand  the  demand  made  upon  it  by  the 
shock  and  strain  of  competitive  games.  To  train  is  one  thing 
and  requires  hard  work  and  self-sacrifice  but  to  keep  in  condi- 
tion is  quite  another  and  fully  as  exacting.  One  must  train  to 
get  into  condition  and  continue  training  to  remain  so. 

Members  of  a squad  who  are  lax  in  training  requirements 
are  unworthy  of  a coach’s  time  and  effort  and  should  be  asked 
to  turn  in  their  suits.  Such  men  have  a detrimental  influence 
over  faithful  ones  often  resulting  in  poor  team  discipline. 
Furthermore,  they  are  absolutely  untrustworthy  in  the  games, 
failing  to  do  their  part  at  critical  periods  or  when  the  battle  is 
going  badly.  In  tough  games  the  poorly  trained  are  the  ones 
who  lose  their  spirit  and  this  eventually  develops  into  loss  of 
team  morale. 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  no  team  was  ever  great  that  did  not 
have  proper  training.  A real  team  enjoys  the  game,  and  this 
is  impossible  unless  in  condition.  It  is  a very  simple  matter, 
watching  two  teams  playing,  to  tell  which  is  better  physical 
shape.  When  in  a game  it  is  even  easier.  If  an  opponent  con- 
tinues to  guard  or  block  you  hard  and  hurts,  then  you  are  “out 
of  luck”  for  he  has  the  better  condition,  and  doubtless  will  give 
you  a good  beating  before  the  game  is  over  if  you  last  that  long. 

A player  can  not  begin  to  do  justice  to  himself  if  in  poor 
ph3^sical  shape.  He  may  have  the  pep  and  dash  at  the  start 
but  soon  slows  up  and  begins  failing  to  block,  guard  or  break 
with  the  necessary  energy  to  secure  results.  If  young  men 
would  only  realize  the  necessity  of  proper  condition,  how  it  en- 
hances their  individual  performance  and  record,  the  confidence 
in  oneself  it  instills  and  the  keen  enjoyment  of  playing  the 
game  hard  if  in  shape,  the  writer  feels  sure  that  none  would 
neglect  this  most  important  matter. 

What  is  required  to  gain  this  physical  fitness?  Regularity 
in  exercise,  dieting  and  rest.  Dieting,  of  course,  would  include 


48 


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abstinence  in  the  matter  of  some  injurious  things  like  smoking 
and  drinking.  It  is  true  that  some  can  eat  and  properly  digest 
food  that  others  cannot.  On  the  whole,  however,  a few  simple 
rules  of  eating  and  sleeping  will  suffice  for  all. 

Sleeping 

Some  coaches  tell  their  squad  that  eight  hours  sleep  is  suf- 
ficient and  that  if  the  eight  hours  one  night  is  from  ten  to  six, 
and  next  from  twelve  to  eight  is  all  right.  The  writer's  opinion 
is  that  during  a strenuous  basketball  campaign  a full  nine 
hours  rest  is  required.  Sleep  from  ten  to  seven  is  the  ideal  pe- 
riod and  should  not  be  varied.  Sufficient  rest  is  necessary  for 
boys  during  the  growing  and  developing  age,  particularly 
when  engaged  in  violent  (faily  exercise. 


Eating 

As  stated  earlier  in  this  chapter,  regularity  in  eating  is  im- 
portant. Breakfast  at  7:30  a.  m.,  lunch  at  12:30  p.  m.,  and 
dinner  at  6:30  p.  m.,  are  good  hours.  Eating  between  meals 
and  especially  late  at  night  is  injurious  to  good  condition. 

Variety  of  food  is  essential  too,  for  to  be  properly  digested 
it  must  be  enjoyed.  It  is  best  to  eat  only  when  hungry.  That 
does  not  mean  to  eat  every  time  one  feels  hungry,  but  rather  to 
go  without  a regular  meal  if  not  hungry  and  wait  until  the  next 
meal  time.  In  the  meantime,  if  hunger  comes,  some  fruit  of 
an  acid  nature  will  quell  the  desire  to  eat. 

Mastication 

Food  must  be  properly  chewed.  Do  not  make  the  stomach 
do  that  extra  work.  There  is  a natural  time  to  swallow.  Do 
not  chew  too  long  either,  for  that  is  injurious  to  food  digestion. 

Proper  diet  for  training  includes — Lean  meats,  fish,  eggs, 
etc.;  cereals,  well  cooked  oatmeal  or  ''breakfast  foods;"  vege- 
tables, peas,  baked  potatoes,  beans,  turnips,  onions,  lettuce, 
celery,  tomatoes ; bread,  one  day  old  or  toasted ; fruit,  grapes, 
oranges,  apples,  apricots,  prunes,  pears,  peaches,  berries,  figs. 
Be  sure  that  the  fruit  is  just  ripe;  beverages,  cocoa,  milk  for 
those  with  whom  it  agrees,  buttermilk,  coffee  rarely,  weak 
lea;  dessert,  fruit  preparations,  rice  pudding,  chocolate  pud- 
ding, custard,  ice  cream ; water,  drink  what  is  desired  at  meal 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


49 


time  if  at  a moderate  temperature.  D.o  not  wash  the  food 
down.  Do  not  drink  or  eat  anything  at  extreme  temperatures. 

Do  not  use  spices,  catsup,  pickles,  vinegar,  etc.  Fried  foods 
should  not  be  eaten.  Keep  away  from  fat  and  grease. 

Cut  out  the  use  of- tobacco,  alcohol,  coffee,  and  tea  except 
in  very  limited  amounts,  carbonated  waters,  confections,  candy, 
pie,  cake  and  lunch  counter  sandwiches. 


Exercise 

In  training  for  basketball,  the  daily  physical  work  should 
not  be  done  earlier  than  two  and  a half  to  three  hours  after 
eating.  The  work-out  should  include  exercises  that  call  into 
action  all  the  muscles  of  the  body.  It  is  advisable,  also,  in  early 
practice  to  do  lots  of  running  to  toughen  the  body  and  gain 
''stay''  and  "wind." 

In  mid-season  when  scrimmage  days  are  frequent,  the  men 
should  not  be  asked  to  do  this  heavy  work  unless  in  good 
shape. 

When  a pla3^er  is  slightly  injured  he  must  be  carefully  at- 
tended. Too  man^"  coaches  are  careless  in  this  matter  and 
often  play  men  who  should  be  under  a physician's  care.  Fol- 
folowing  practice  sessions,  when  in  a good  sweat,  the  squad 
should  be  sent  to  the  showers.  When  warm,  players  must  not 
jump  under  a cold  shower.  First  take  a warm  one  followed  b^^ 
a cold  and  then  report  to  the  trainer  for  rub  down.  At  this 
time  all  injuries,  minor  or  otherwise,  should  be  given  strict 
attention. 

Rub  downs  are  very  important  and  even  when  trainers  are 
not  available  some  arrangement  might  easily  be  made  by  ap- 
pealing to  students  for  this  work.  A rub  or  massage,  should 
include  the  whole  body.  It  consists  of  stroking  with  the  hands, 
circular  rubbing,  shaking,  twisting,  and  hacking.  Rubs  should 
start  farthest  from  the  heart;  for  example,  the  feet,  then  limbs, 
abdomen,  chest  and  back  in  order.  It  takes  usually  about  ten 
minutes.  A good  rubdown  stimulates  circulation  and  rein- 
vigorates the  tired  muscles.  In  rubbing  use  one  quart  of  grain 
alcohol,  three  quarts  of  witch  hazel  and  a few  drops  of  iodine 
thoroughly  mixed.  Another  rub  is  two  quarts  of  grain  alcohol, 
two  quarts  of  camphorated  oil  and  a few  drops  of  oil  of  winter- 
green  for  heat,  thoroughly  mixed. 


50 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


Men  should  report  injuries  immediately  and  they  must  be 
given  attention  at  once.  Rest  is  the  best  cure  for  staleness  or 
over-training.  Bruises  and  ''charley  horse''  need  special  at- 
tention as  well  as  sprains,  weak  ankles,  knees,  etc.  Ankles 
should  be  taped  before  scrimmages  and  games. 

On  trips  the  men  must  be  watched  carefully  for  over-eat- 
ing. Be  careful  of  the  water,  demanding  pure  spring  water  and 
insisting  that  ice  Avater  be  kept  away  from  the  table. 

The  meal  just  prior  to  a game  should  be  very  light,  con- 
sisting, for  example,  of  a small  baked  potato,  small  portion  of 
broiled  sirloin  steak,  celery,  toast  and  weak  tea. 

Conditioning 

It  is  a good  policy  to  have  the  men  weigh  in  e\"ery  night 
before  and  after  practice.  This  will  enable  you  to  judge  the 
men's  condition  so  that  you  will  know  Avhether  you  are  giving 
too  much  or  too  little  work.  Players  should  be  examined  be- 
fore the  season  starts  for  weak  heart  and  flat  feet.  The  first 
hard  work  out  should  be  followed  by  taking  a cathartic  that 
night  with  a dose  of  salts  in  the  morning.  Insist  that  the  men 
wear  clean  outfits,  preventing  skin  disease,  and  that  they  prop- 
erly dry  themselves  following  a bath.  Caution  the  men  about 
sleeping  in  pure  clean  air  and  oxit  of  draft.  Colds  are  frequent 
during  basketball  season  and  nothing  so  quickly  weakens  a 
player  as  this. 

The  player's  feet  need  careful  nursing.  Salt  water  or  com- 
pound tincture  of  benzoin  will  toughen  the  feet  and  aid  in  pre- 
vention of  blisters.  In  case  of  extreme  blisters,  a strip  of  ad- 
hesive across  them  will  help.  Plowever,  the  adhesive  must  not 
be  kept  on. 

In  case  of  bruises  or  'Aharley  horse"  hot  applications  and 
massage  are  best.  Tape  on  flannel  to  retain  the  heat. 

When  a player  strains  an  ankle,  hot  applications  followed 
with  massage  and  then  taped  with  an  adhesive  cast  is  best. 
Use  a hook  binding  over  which  strips  of  tape  should  be  placed 
around  the  achilles  tendon.  These  strips  should  OA^er  lap  each 
other,  the  ends  of  which  leave  a space  about  one  inch  in  front 
part  of  foot. 

For  a bad  cold  use  quinine,  hot  lemonade  and  cathartic  be- 
fore going  to  bed.  If  on  the  chest,  use  antiphlogistine.  Rub 
chest  first  with  strong  counter  irritant. 

In  case  of  ''gym  itch,"  wash  with  alcohol  and  apply  a salve 
such  as  zinc  oxide. 


Chapter  VIII 

PLAYING  THE  GAME,  HINTS,  DOPE,  ETC. 

Smart  teams  do  a great  deal  of  talking  in  a game,  which 
has  the  effect  of  keeping  the  players  on  edge  and  full  of  pep. 
They  should  yell  'Tall,’  if  they  want  it  and  are  in  a position  to 
advance  or  shoot.  In  that  case,  the  ball  must  be  passed  at  once 
or  it  will  be  too  late.  Players  can  frequently  aid  each  other  by 
shouting,  "dribble,”  "shoot,”  or  "take  your  time”  as  the  case 
may  be.  Players  who  get  in  the  habit  of  talking  in  a game 
find  that  it  helps  their  courage  and  pep  a great  deal. 

In  getting  away  from  guards,  you  should  not  run  at  a 
steady  pace,  but  hesitate  and  then  dart  this  way,  that  way,  and 
reverse  or  pivot.  Stops  are  very  effective. 

When  the  center  or  forwards  get  exhausted  momentarily, 
they  should  never  rest  or  hang  around  under  their  own  basket 
hoping  for  an  open  shot.  When  tired,  rest  down  under  the  op- 
ponents’ basket  and  have  the  backguard  take  your  place  for  a 
moment. 

Play  hard.  Go  by  spurts.  It  is  best  to  play  like  a tiger  for 
five  minutes,  rest,  and  then  go  hard  again. 

When  ahead  toward  the  end  of  the  game,  pass  the  ball 
around  safely.  This  can  be  done  down  toward  opponents’  end 
or  court.  If  they  get  wise  that  you  are  playing  for  time,  they 
may  all  rush  to  get  the  ball  and  you  should  have  one  man  slip 
down  a side-line  for  a long  hook  or  loop  pass.  Never  pass  the 
ball  across  the  court  in  front  of  opponents’  goal. 

When  your  team  has  possession  of  the  ball,  play  the  sides 
and  corners  of  court  so  that  when  you  see  an  opening  for  a 
pass,  you  can  break  toward  the  middle  of  floor. 

When  out  of  bounds,  get  back  in  fast.  You  can  not  play 
out  there.  If  ball  goes  out,  go  after  it  and  return  it  as  fast  as 
possible.  If  you  are  not  sure  whether  it  is  yours  or  not,  play 
it  anyway^  The  referee  will  soon  tell  you. 

If  game  is  close  and  you  get  the  ball  near  opponents’ 
basket,  get  it  up  the  floor  out  of  dangerous  territory  as  soon  as 
possible. 


library 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
AT  URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 


52 


INSIDE  BASKETBALL 


On  toss-up  at  center,  guards  and  forwards  should  make  a 
feint  to  get  tip-off.  It  will  cover  the  player  designated  to  get  it. 

Think  all  the  time — the  faster  and  warmer  you  become, 
the  faster  your  brain  works. 

If  you  practice  sluggishly,  you  will  play  a game  the  same 

way. 

Never  stand  around  near  your  own  basket.  Make  a space 
there  for  a teammate  to  break  for  in  getting  a pass  and  shot. 

If  your  team  is  having  a tough  time  of  it,  play  your  game. 
Do  not  forget  your  system.  Keep  your  heads  and  play  harder. 

If  an  opponent  plays  dirty  and  even  strikes  you,  do  not 
lose  your  temper  and  common  sense.  You  are  out-playing  him 
when  he  resorts  to  such  tactics ; so  keep  playing  harder  but 
clean. 

If  you  lose,  be  a good  loser.  Do  not  crab  the  officials  or 
teammates.  Resolve  to  do  better  next  time  after  studying  your 
own  faults.  When  beaten,  there  are  glaring  weaknesses  some- 
where. Be  a good  winner  also.  Nothing  so  quickly  loses  a 
player's  popularity  as  a swelled  head. 

Away  from  home  on  a trip,  players  must  not  try  to  see  all 
the  sights  in  town.  Traveling  takes  lots  of  vitality  away  and 
rest  must  be  secured. 


Modern  Football 


FOR 

PLAYERS  AND  COACHES 

BY 

M.  B.  BANKS 

Director  of  Physical  Education,  Drake  University 
Quarterback  Syracuse  University  ’05-’09 

This  up-to-date  book 
contains  many  new 
plays.  It  is  fully  illus- 
trated and  describes 
methods  and  schemes 
for  both  offensive  and 
defensive  football. 

Price,  postpaid,  $1.75 

M.  B.  BANKS  PUBLISHING  CO. 

Dea  Moines*  Iowa 


